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OCEAN ACIDIFICATION FACT SHEET NUMBERS AT A GLANCE Approximately 26% of the CO2 added to the atmosphere from human activities each year is absorbed by the ocean [1]. 22 million tons of CO2 per day is absorbed by the oceans from human activities [1]. Ocean acidity has increased by 30% since the industrial revolution. This increase is 100 times faster than any change in acidity experienced by marine organisms for at least the last 20 million years [1]. Source: Turley et al (2006) Business as usual scenarios for CO2 emissions could make the ocean up to 150% more acidic by 2100 [1]. JUNE 2015 What is Ocean Acidification? Ocean acidification is the reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused mainly by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. It can also be caused by chemical additions and subtractions from the ocean. Anthropogenic ocean acidification refers to the component of pH reduction that is caused by human activity [8]. Impacts of Ocean Acidification in the Wider Caribbean Region 1. Coral growth is expected to decline at a rate of 15% in the Caribbean. This reduction will impact tourism revenues, food security and shoreline protection [6]. 2. Some marine species such as corals, conch, oysters and sea urchins are highly sensitive to ocean acidification and will be more susceptible to predation and damage [2]. Source : NOAA Source : NOAA 3. Other studies have shown that Caribbean gorgonian corals may be more resilient at midelevated levels of ocean acidification [3]. This has the potential to create imbalances in the types of marine species within the Wider Caribbean region. Impacts of Ocean Acidification in the Wider Caribbean Region (Cont’d) 4. Revenue and foreign exchange earnings from fisheries are expected to decline [5]. 5. Ocean acidification could trigger a chain reaction of impacts throughout marine food webs leading to lower biodiversity levels [5]. How can the Wider Caribbean Region mitigate the impacts of Ocean Acidification? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Reduce land-based sources of pollution, such as nutrient run off, which can reduce some of the negative impacts of ocean acidification. Reduce, control and regulate other environmental pressures such as overfishing, and habitat degradation which can magnify the negative impacts of acidification. Strengthen ocean resilience by allowing time for recovery from human impacts, through the designation and protection of marine protected areas and by improved marine spatial planning. Strengthen national and regional institutions and coordinating mechanisms to enable more effective responses to ocean acidification at the national and regional levels. Provide capacity building for further research on the extent of ocean acidification in the Caribbean Sea. References and Further Reading 1. UNESCO (2015). Facts and figures on ocean acidification. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/iococeans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-thefuture-we-want/ocean-acidification/facts-and-figureson-ocean-acidification/ 2. Gómez C. E etal (2015).Responses of the tropical gorgonian coral Eunicea fusca to ocean acidification conditions. Coral reefs Volume 34, Issue 2, pp 451-460. 3. Gómez C. E etal (2015).Responses of the tropical gorgonian coral Eunicea fusca to ocean acidification conditions. Coral reefs Volume 34, Issue 2, pp 451-460. 4. CARICOM Communication Unit. Considering the Impact of Ocean Acidification. Retrieved from http://www.caribbeanleadership.org/en/newslettercontent/clp-connect-september-2014/considering-theimpact-of-ocean-acidification 5. UNESCO (2013). Ocean Acidification: A Summary for Policy Makers- Third Symposiums on Ocean in a High-CO2 World. International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, Stockholm Sweden. 6. Nature Climate Change (2012).Rising Ocean acidity worse for Caribbean and Pacific. Retrieved May 14, 2015 from http://www.scidev.net/global/fisheries/news/rising-oceanacidity-worst-for-caribbean-and-pacific.html 7. OCB –UKOA (2013). 20 Ocean Facts about Ocean Acidification. Retrieved from http://www.whoi.edu/OCB-OA/FAQs 8. NOAA (n.d). NOAA Ocean Acidification Program. Retrieve from http://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/ 9. Turley et.al (2006). Reviewing the impact of increased atmospheric CO2 on oceanic pH and the marine ecosystem. In: Proceedings of the “Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change” Symposium, 8, 65-70. Schellnhuber, H J., Cramer, W., Nakicenovic, N., Wigley, T. and Yohe, G (Eds). Cambridge University Press.